New York, February 1 While people have been trying really hard to prevent their hard-earned money from being wasted on unnecessary transactions, a restaurant in New York City is offering a hard-to-beat recession special: pay what you want.

Thanks to the Tierra Sana restaurant on Queens Boulevard in Forrest Hills, people can now satisfy their hunger without having to empty their wallets.

From February 3 onwards, the restaurant will offer customers a "Pay What You Want" special on every Tuesday, including an array of appetizers, entrees, salads and desserts that are all health-conscious but still savoury. "Health food doesn't have to be expensive or tasteless," the New York Daily News quoted owner Vic Fiallo, who began this special to introduce Queens diners to cheap and healthy cuisine, as saying.

Fiallo is confident that his customers will enjoy their food so much that they will pay close to the listed price, even though they have been bearing the brunt of the ongoing recession.

"They'll give it a fair shake," said Fiallo, who opened the spot in June.

The restaurant, whose name means "healthy earth" in Spanish, serves such means as use mostly organic and locally grown ingredients.

The menu also features vegetarian and vegan options.

"I want to save money, but I still want to maintain nutrition," therapist and restaurant regular Florence Dunlop said.

Dunlop even said that she could pay more than the list price of any of Tierra Sana's meals, including her favourite citrus fish wrap.

Alcohol will not be included in the restaurant's Tuesday deal, and, thus, those wishing to consume liquor will have to pay from their own pockets. (ANI)